Steelers Now
New Steelers safety Juan Thornhill spoke to the media Wednesday about the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade and the negativity out of Cleveland.
UNITY TWP, Pa. – When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Juan Thornhill in free agency, no one anticipated he would be in line to start at safety. After the trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick, he was propelled into the slot. Thornhill spoke to the media on Wednesday about filling in for Fitzpatrick–and rebounding from Cleveland.
Thornhill has something that head coach Mike Tomlin values: championship pedigree. He knows what it takes to win after spending his first four seasons in Kansas City–acquiring two Super Bowl rings.
First, that pedigree is probably what attracted him to Pittsburgh. Thornhill was thought to be a strong depth piece at the time. After trading away Fitzpatrick, he’s now in line to start at safety. The trade doesn’t change his approach, however.
#Steelers safety Juan Thornhill’s initial reaction to Minkah Fitzpatrick being traded: “I kinda thought it was a joke at first.” #HereWeGo
— Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe) July 23, 2025
“I was just going to show up and just work … do what’s asked of me,” Thornhill told reporters. “Show [the Steelers] that’s what I’m here for.”
The trade shocked Thornhill. “I was at home … I thought it was a joke at first,” he told reporters about learning about the trade.
Next, after playing on a strong 2023 Cleveland Browns defense, that unit came back down to reality in 2024. Thornhill was among those criticized by Cleveland media. Despite the underwhelming 2024 season, he knows he is capable of filling the spot at free safety.
“I’m very capable … I can make a lot of plays,” Thornhill said. “You can’t really read into what the [Cleveland] media is saying about me.”
Finally, in response to Cleveland’s criticism and “bashing” of Thornhill, his message was simply said, “If you sit back and watch the film of what I did in Cleveland, I have a lot of good plays … I make a lot of plays.”
If Thornhill can make plays in Pittsburgh like he did in Kansas City, he could be the answer to filling that void. He knows time is limited in training camp, but he and the Steelers will see how things develop.
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Latrobe, Pa.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Juan Thornhill Has No Love Lost for Steelers’ AFC North Foe
